


Bringing Her Home

by AussieTransfan2015, TheBigLoserQueen



Series: Dragon AU [8]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Dragons, Alternate Universe - Human, Dragons, Family, Family Feels, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, Happy Ending, Het, Human, Implied/Referenced Torture, Implied/Referenced Underage Prostitution, Light Angst, Prostitution, Serious
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2020-04-24
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:06:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23814310
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AussieTransfan2015/pseuds/AussieTransfan2015, https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBigLoserQueen/pseuds/TheBigLoserQueen
Summary: Nightfury decides it's time to get Sally out of that brothel.
Relationships: Genesis/Nightfury, Original Female Character/Original Male Character
Series: Dragon AU [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/937017





	Bringing Her Home

Nightfury hoped she was doing the right thing.

She had to swallow down the feeling, getting her nerves together as she reflected over what she was about to do. She hadn’t spoken to Genesis about her plan, still too unsure of where she would want to take this. She had to push the feeling of lying to him aside in order to even get here today. He was off somewhere in the markets again, giving her plenty of time to approach the Madam and get some idea of just how to get Sally out of that house without breaking anything.

She took a glance at the door she was in front of. Because she was affiliated with Genesis, the Madam considered her a business partner by extension. And since she had been here plenty of times to see Sally, she was allowed to go through one of the side doors without anyone stopping her.

Still, this… this was different. She wasn’t going to see Sally… She was there for business. Maybe. She didn’t know what to exactly call this whole thing she was about to do, but she was going to try. So, taking a breath, she collected herself and headed inside the pleasure house.

Given that it was later in the afternoon compared to her last visit, there was a lot happening. People were setting up tables, the bar was being cleaned up, she could hear people in the kitchen prepping meals… And there were some of the women out front too. They were mostly chatting and gossiping, lounging around or even practising dances before they officially had to open.

Nightfury noticed a couple of the runners, though they looked a couple years older than the children she usually saw. Still, considering everyone else was probably busy, a runner was just who she needed.

One of the runners, a fairy who looked to be eleven with short brown hair, made eye contact with her first. The young fairy stopped, instantly becoming nervous and fidgeting. Nightfury quickly raised a hand, trying to appear as non-hostile as possible, and slowly approached the runner.

“Y-Yes?” she asked timidly.

Nightfury knelt down, again attempting to be as non-threatening as she could. “I was hoping to speak with the Madam. Is she available?”

“Madam Marley?” The young fairy paused for a moment, looking up at the large brown doors on the floor above them. “Sh-She’s normally busy right before we open… B-But what did you want to talk to her about?”

Nightfury needed to choose her words wisely, if only for her sake and not to come off as… nasty or vile. She was here to help Sally; she had to keep telling herself that.

“I’m… Doctor Genesis’ assistant, Nightfury. I’ve come to… to do business with Madam Marley. But if she’s occupied, I can return another time.” She didn’t want to throw Genesis’ name in, but if that connection would get Madam Marley to consider talking to her this time, she would use it.

The young fairy bit her bottom lip. Well… Everyone knew Genesis, though she could never recall seeing this lady before. Though she could have sworn that she had heard the name Nightfury before… Regardless though, since she did claim to know Genesis and be his assistant, whatever she had to discuss had to be important. And Madam Marley would have been furious if they turned away one of her important partners.

“She... might have time,” the runner said, though she didn’t sound very confident. “I’ll… I-I’ll go ask.”

Nightfury gave a little girl a small smile, in the hopes it would make her less nervous. “Thank you.”

She merely nodded before her wings sprouted from her back. Nightfury stood back up just as the runner fluttered up to the second floor and knocked on the door. She didn’t try to hear what the conversation was, instead turning to look around the floor. Fortunately, she didn’t see Sally anywhere. Perhaps she was still getting ready?

Since Sally was considered one of the top-tier girls, they took a longer time to get ready. Madam Marley was insistent on having them look absolutely perfect in order to bring in more clients, and more money. As much as it disgusted her to think about, it was something she had to consider. She had no idea how much of a fight the Madam would put up in regards to her wanting to get Sally out of this place. Sally made her money, and Madam Marley didn’t want to lose that money either.

“M-Madam Marley says you can come up, M-Miss Nightfury.”

The voice snapped her out of her thoughts, looking up at the fairy who was now fluttering back down to the ground. Nightfury nodded, offering a small smile to the young fairy before standing to follow. She kept some distance as the runner showed her the way, nervously grabbing her arm. She knew her appearance still needed some work, but she couldn’t do much about the black stains on her arms and hands; the idea of having to apply makeup or cover them up was too much of a hassle.

Sally had actually helped a little in giving her ideas to “make her even prettier,” as Sally would put it. She had started styling her hair in a bun, accentuating her horns. She did try to clean up her face, a little makeup to ‘highlight’ her face and make it less menacing. Sally’s little tips and tricks did work, but even then, others would always have fear in their eyes when they looked at her..

“Miss Nightfury?” the young runner’s voice pulled her from her thoughts, seeing the familiar door of Madam Marley’s office.

Nightfury nodded, and in the hopes of easing the girl’s nerves, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a few gold coins. “I’m sorry for bothering you with this.”

The young fairy couldn’t even react when Nightfury placed the coins in her hand. Then, taking a deep breath, Nightfury turned to the door and walked inside.

Madam Marley’s office was just as gaudy and over the top as the first time she had seen it. The only that had changed this time around was that there seemed to be more paperwork on her desk and much less wine. As for the Madam, she was sitting at her desk counting a bag of silver with some paperwork next to him.

She was much more dressed up than she had seen her before, with a full face of heavy makeup, most likely because the place would be open in a few hours… But it honestly made Nightfury a little uneasy. Madam Marley was clearly in full business mode, and she knew that trying to appeal to her emotions probably would not do her any favors. Still, she wasn’t going to back down so easily.

Nightfury closed the door behind her, the Madam sparing a glance up before returning to count her coins. “So,” she said. “You have business with me?”

She could hear the demand within the question. “I apologise if this is a bad time, but this was the only time I could come out.”

The other didn’t even look up from her counting.

Nightfury wanted to hold her ground with this woman, inherent instinct demanding to assert herself as dominant, but she had to fight this. This wasn’t a beast she was about to fight, but a mortal woman. Someone who could be reasoned with. “I came… because I wanted to buy a contract from you.”

Madam Marley paused in her counting, and lifted her head up a little to look at Nightfury directly. Her expression was blank, though she didn’t seem surprised. After staring at her for a few moments, the older woman chuckled before shaking her head. She set down her coins, writing something down quickly on a piece of paper, before leaning back into her chair.

“Oh really?” she said, folding her arms across her chest. “Let me take a guess - you happen to be interested in buying a certain little ginger elf I have working here… Is that right?”

“It is,” Nightfury nodded. She wasn’t going to sugar coat it, she wasn’t going to try to make any excuses and she wasn’t going to back down. Sally was too nice of a girl to be here. Without any context on what her life could be, she wanted to give her that life. Hers was stolen from her; she’d be damned before another like Sally was denied.

“And how do you expect to do that?” she asked. “Since Genesis isn’t here with you, I can only assume you’re doing this on your own… And let’s be honest, you don’t look like you have much to your name, honey.”

Nightfury remained unphased, what she might’ve said was true however, Nightfury didn’t leave Nitroglide to wallow in his riches when she slew him. Most of his fortune she had taken and held in case she should ever have need of it.

“But wouldn’t a business woman, such as yourself, actually ascertain what I have before she makes assumptions?” Nightfury asked, having a little care if the brash woman would be offended or not. “And whether or not my wealth is in question, given how highly you place Sally in your… stakes, you wouldn’t make buying her easy. So, what are your terms?”

Madam Marley wasn’t offended; if anything she laughed. “I don’t know if your arrogance is part of your charm or if you’re just foolish, but you’re certainly fun to talk to. I can see why Genesis likes you so much.”

Nightfury bit her tongue. She didn’t come here to be insulted nor to banter. She wanted to get Sally away from this place, and this woman was making it far more difficult to do so.

“Do we have an accord?”

Madam Marley looked her up and down with a smug smirk on her face. Nightfury probably thought she hated her, but she really didn’t. If anything, she admired her a little. Nightfury was so desperate to “rescue” her prostitute friend from this place and give her a life she hadn’t had. It was admirable, but too idealistic. There was no guarantee that Sally would have been able to adapt to a normal life or if she would even like it. After all, she had been in this place since she was eight years old, nearly twelve years… This was a normal life for her.

Not to mention that she had to consider her business as well. Sally was one of her top five girls, who could bring in anywhere from $1000-$5000 because she was so popular. She was one of the girls clients would bid for, just to have a night with, on top of what she made just having drinks and chatting and dancing with men who came in. It would be quite a loss to her business to let one of her best go.

She placed her folded hands onto her desk, that smug smirk still on her face. Then, with a dramatic sigh, she said, “$10,000. In gold.”

“WHAT?” Nightfury snapped, she just couldn’t believe her ears. Sally, as Madam Marley had said was one of her top girls but that, that was robbery!

“$10,000, in gold,” she repeated, amused by the anger in the other’s eyes. “She makes me quite a lot of money; losing her is losing an incredibly valuable asset to my business. If anything, I’m giving you a discount since you two are such good friends.”

“But,” Nightfury wanted to argue, but what could she say? She had no eye for business nor did she know anything about contract trade or its pricing. She had hoped what she had would be more than enough but now, she only had half of the full price. Even if she tried to barter the few jewels and rare metals she had, she couldn’t guarantee it would cover.

And Madam Marley knew, Nightfury could see it in her eyes. She wanted to curse under her breath, but whether what she said about the discount being true or not, she couldn’t risk losing the chance.

“I...I’ll need to rework a few things, but I can make that.”

Madam Marley chuckled, shaking her head. At least the other wasn’t going to fight her on the deal. If anything, she was lucky that she was even willing to consider selling Sally to her in the first place, even with such a high price tag.

“I do take payment plans, since I’m sure it’ll take you a while to come up with the funds,” she said, reaching into her desk to pull out a small brown box. Nightfury watched her write “Payment for Sally” on it and push it towards her with it open. “Of course, Sally will remain here until you’ve paid for her contract in full. I don’t need you running off with her and then forcing me to hunt you down.”

She wanted to hiss at this woman. She’d be lying if the idea hadn’t crossed her mind but she couldn’t do that to Sally or her family. She would weather this, no matter.

“I have half here,” reaching into her pack, she placed a heavy bag of coins into the box. She didn’t bother putting the rest in, hoping she could barter higher prices later. “I’ll get the rest.”

“I’m sure you will dear,” she said, though her tone made it obvious that she didn’t believe in her.

But Nightfury didn’t care. She would find a way to come up with the money. She swore to herself that she would get Sally out of this place, and she wasn’t about to back away from that now just because of some ridiculous price. Sally deserved to be free of this place… She only wished she could get her out of her sooner than later.

Madam Marley waved her out without much of a goodbye, but Nightfury didn’t mind. As she exited the other’s office, she became lost in her thoughts. She had to find a way to come up with the money. Yes, she still had jewels she could sell, but she didn’t know if it would be enough… And she couldn’t ask Genesis or Skyfire to give her a loan; this was her choice, her decision. She had to be the one to do this, for Sally.

“Nightfury!”

She snapped out her thoughts when a small pair of arms suddenly wrapped around her arm. Looking to her right, she saw Sally standing her to her, looking up at her with a big smile on her face. She was much more dolled up than how Nightfury had usually seen it, with this over the top cutesy makeup and a flowing yet tight pastel pink dress. Of course, they were going to open in an hour so it was to be expected…

But Nightfury didn’t try to think about that now. Instead, she turned to the elf with a smile of her own and pulled her into a hug. “Hello, Sally - how are you?”

“I’ve been good!” she sang, pulling back from the hug. “I heard from Talia that you were here to meet with Madam Marley, and I was surprised because you never talk to the Madam without Genesis. What did you guys talk about?”

Nightfury could feel her tongue tie. She didn’t want to tell Sally just yet what she was planning. If she tried to dissuade her or ask her to stop, there was no doubt in her mind Sally would win her out.

“Something...special,” she smiled, tapping the young girl on her nose. “And a surprise. So I can’t say yet or it might be ruined.”

Sally giggled, nodding eagerly. She liked surprises! And as much as she wanted to know what it was, she could wait. And it would be the first time Nightfury would have surprised her with a special gift, so she was really looking forward to it now!

“Okay!” she said, giving Nightfury another hug. “I can’t wait! And I have to finish getting ready soon, so I’ll head back upstairs. I just wanted to say hi before you left.”

“Thank you Sally, stay safe,” she said, smiling back despite her heart breaking at the idea of her being put through this. For now, the plan to buy her contract will come first. With that resolve, she strode out of the brothel and made her way to any of the open merchants in the market. Hoping she would make enough back from the gemstones.

* * *

This… was not going to plan.

It had been two weeks since she had first gone to ask about Sally. Two weeks, and she still didn’t have enough to buy her contract. She had counted again and again; she could have sworn the gemstones she had were worth more than what the merchants had given her. This had barely made a dent in what she still owed to the Madam.

She pondered and wondered what she could do to make more money, without compromising herself. She knew of some apothecaries who needed hard to find ingredients, something she could find easily… But she didn’t know if that would be enough to get her the money she needed in a timely matter. She didn’t want Sally to be stuck in that horrible place much longer. She had to get her out of there.

Nightfury was so consumed in thought that she missed Genesis walking into the room. Even when he got closer to the living room, she still didn’t notice him. Curious, he looked over her shoulder, noting the hasty scribbles of ink against a piece parchment, several numbers and counts and all manner of other musings that only brought him more worry.

“Nightfury?”

His voice brought her out of her thoughts, causing her to jump and turn. Before she could try and hide her work, he sat down beside her. But instead of looking at her work, he had her place down her quill before taking her hands into his, making sure she faced him. “Beloved, what is the matter?”

Nightfury refrained, feeling ashamed and anxious. What would he say? She hadn’t planned for any of this to happen. She had thought it would all go as smoothly as it did in her mind, but now… Now she was worrying him. And she couldn’t just lie to his face when he could clearly see that she was working on something big.

“Nightfury please,” Genesis said, giving her hands a loving but firm squeeze. “What’s the matter?”

“I...I didn’t want to bother you with this,” she sighed, holding his hands tighter. “But… it hasn’t gone the way that I wanted.”

“What did you want to do?” he asked, but he didn’t rush her nor demand answers. He remained still, held her hands and waited.

“I… I tried to… buy Sally’s contract.”

When Genesis didn’t say anything, she looked up; he remained still, waiting for her to speak.

It made her a little anxious, but she knew she had to continue. “It… it’s foolish I know. And I know you said that is the only life she’s known and no matter what I do, it may not change but… I wanted to try. But even all the gold and jewels I had to sell… I’m nowhere near what that… what the Madam is asking for.”

The thought of all of this happening because Madam Marley wanted to mess with her returned to the forefront; the theory became more and more plausible as she continued to think on it. After all, this price was absolutely insane, and she knew by that smug look she had given her that Madam Marley knew it too. However, there was nothing else she could do but pay the asking price.

“Well, what was she asking for?” he asked, his concern growing when Nightfury seemed to become more nervous and ashamed.

“Ten thousand, in gold,” she huffed, shaking her head in frustration. “I was able to pay half already, and I’ve gotten some money from the jewels I had, but only an extra two thousand… If I could pay the rest with something else I would! Even… Primus forbids it, I’d work for her myself.”

A sudden grip from Genesis had her looking up. When she saw the glimmer of horror in his eyes, she blushed and immediately shook her head, “I-I meant as a guard or a runner or anything else ASIDE from that.”

He let out a breath of relief, looking down at the parchment she had been writing on, as well as the small sack of gold next to it. Even he knew that ten thousand for one girl was ridiculous, but he was aware of Sally’s value to Madam Marley. Not to mention she wasn’t one to sell her contracts off very easily; in fact, the only time she would sell them was when her workers were getting to be too old and someone offered to buy them.

Sally was still quite young, and barely looked her age at all. Of course the Madam would overcharge… But the fact that Nightfury was giving into her ridiculous demands was incredibly telling. Nightfury wouldn’t do this for just anyone. He had known that she and Sally had gotten closed since Nightfury continued to visit her, but this was more than just friendship. She genuinely cared for Sally, almost like a mother would a child.

“You really want to get her out of there, don’t you?” he asked, turning back to her somber huff.

“I just…” She sighed, trying to form the right words. In the back of her mind, it was selfish of her to think she was doing the right thing for Sally. And she was, but a side of her was being selfish.

“My childhood was stolen from me… because of others forcing me to live it. Without you… and Thornstriker, without Dad and Jetfire… My life would have remained on the same path. Without ever thinking or considering it could’ve been anything else. I want to do that for Sally; to show her there is more to life than ‘pleasing’ some stranger. She could learn new skills, make friends, maybe… even find love too.

Turning to Genesis, she couldn’t resist the urge to lean down, nuzzling into him. She sighed at the warmth his embrace brought, feeling her heart flutter.

“Then… let's rest. Get some sleep, that way you’ll be refreshed and can focus,” he smiled, returning her embrace as he urged her to stand and follow.

Nightfury, smiling all the while, followed after him. Genesis was able to get her to join him for a warm bath, allowing her to relax and let her mind settle. And once the bath was over, they were able to dry themselves off and dress comfortably before heading to bed. They wrapped each other’s arms around each other as they curled into the sheets, Nightfury quickly falling into a deep sleep.

Genesis remained awake, stroking Nightfury unrestrained hair as she nuzzled into his chest. He knew how much this meant to her, as did the independence of enacting her plan. But he knew Madam Marley and knew what she was doing. He also knew Nightfury’s perceptions were only one way or the other. He had to help, and he wanted to help… And perhaps Skyfire could help too.

A plan started to form, one he would have to keep Nightfury in the dark about. He would tell her eventually, but for now he would do what he could.

* * *

Nightfury knew something was going on. When she would go out to try and scrounge up more money, she knew that her father had been coming over to talk with Genesis. About what, she could only guess, but that made her a little anxious. She knew Genesis hadn’t really agreed with her desire to get Sally out of that place the first time she had mentioned. And even when he found out her plans to buy her contract, he didn’t say anything encouraging or discouraging.

Did he really think she was making a mistake? Maybe this was just her selfish desire to “save” something from a terrible and similar situation she and her mother had been in, but… Every time she thought of Sally, she just felt this overwhelming need to protect her.

The little elf had shared a little bit of her home life before coming to the brothel with her; it was a horrible abusive place where she never received any love. And this place, the brothel… All she knew was how to please people for money. Sally barely knew how to read or write, deprived of an education, of family, of genuine love… She didn’t deserve that. She was too good for that, and she wanted to protect her.

But that may have just been her selfishness. After all, Sally didn’t hate her life in the brothel. She never complained about her work, she had plenty of friends, and she enjoyed getting “gifts” and attention from the patrons. Something that Genesis had told her a few times before.

Maybe that was why Skyfire was meeting with him this past week. Maybe they were gearing to stage an intervention of some kind. But Nightfury didn’t think she was wrong, she just… She just wanted to save Sally. Get her out of there and give her a life she never even thought was possible for her.

So when Genesis asked Skyfire to stay for dinner, she decided to prepare herself. This wasn’t her projecting or her pushing her feelings onto this… She genuinely cared about Sally, as if she were a younger sister, or even a daughter. She wanted to help her. She just needed to get the rest of the money together in order to actually buy her contract and get her out of that horrible place.

So there she found herself, eating a cooked meal with her father and fiance. Neither had said a word nor had she. She could feel the tension in her throat rising the longer the silence remained. She wanted answers. She needed to know what they were thinking, what they were planning.

But neither seemed as anxious as her, nor seemingly suspicious of anything. She could feel her heart tense, her mind trying to convince her nothing was amiss and they weren’t trying to hurt her or anything of the sort. But the silence was eating her away until she just couldn’t hold her tongue anymore.

“Please, just say it.”

Both Skyfire and Genesis looked up, watching as she placed her utensils down and looked at them both.

“Beloved?”

“Nightfury?”

“Just tell me I’m wrong,” she demanded, looking down at her food. “Just say what you want to say about me foolishly trying to save a complete stranger from the only life she’s known because of my own compulsive need to save another because I couldn’t save myself. Just tell me already before my own anxiety suffocates me.”

Silence filled the room for a few moments, which made her anxiety practically skyrocket. But she said her peace. Now she had to brave the onslaught they would place on her.

“Oh my sweetheart...” Skyfire suddenly rose and moved around the table to kneel beside her. He took her hand and cupped her cheek. “We never wanted to make you feel like this.”

“In fact, quite the opposite,” Genesis smiled, taking her other hand.

Nightfury grew confused. Just what did they mean? They weren’t going to tell her to stop? But then why had they been conversing and meeting up without her this entire past week?!

Gently, Skyfire pulled her from her chair and both led her to the back of the house. This had been where the guest room and Genesis’ study were. But as they opened the door, her heart stopped. The wall separating the rooms had been removed and new furniture taking its place. The room was decorated with plants and flowers, the soft scents permeating the room. The bed had soft almost silk sheets, covered in soft pastel colours.

It was everything Sally loved. As an elf, she needed to be around nature to stay healthy. And she saw that some of the flowers, such as the pink tulips and white lilies, were Sally’s favorites. The room itself was mostly still a little barren in terms of decorations… which meant someone, like Sally, could decorate it to her heart’s content.

“What-?”

“We knew this meant a lot to you,” Genesis said, showing her the room. “But… just buying her contract would only be the first step.”

“It’s why Genesis asked me to come over, sweetie,” Skyfire added, smiling with pride at his work. “To help unite the rooms and build a few things.”

“And… for this.” Genesis pulled out a small box, not unlike the one that Madam Marley had placed on her desk. Then he handed it to Nightfury, a smile on his and Skyfire’s faces.

Opening the offered chest, Nightfury was a bit confused to find two small wrapped scrolls inside. Curious though, she set the box down on a side table and pulled off the strings of one of the pieces of parchment before unrolling to read the contents.

Her jaw dropped at what she was reading. A contract with one of Skyfire’s old friends, Swerve , promising a deal on a 15% discount on any alcohol orders and shipments to the Blue Rose Palace. And Swerve didn’t just sell cheap liquor, he had access to a range of expensive wines and spirits that Madam Marley would regularly serve at her establishment.

Nightfury quickly snatched the second one up and unwrapped it. It was another contract, this time with Genesis, promising a deal on a 25% discount on his medical services. Both contracts promised to fulfill their end if Madam Marley agreed to accept a lower payment in return for Sally’s contract… They… They both did this for her, and for Sally...

“It may not be gold, but it’s just as valuable,” Skyfire said, placing a kiss on her head. “This should convince her to take a lower gold payment.”

“And if it doesn’t, I know she can’t say no to free medical services,” Nightfury snapped to Genesis, about to protest his offer before he placed a finger on her lips. “For Sally, I’d be happy to. And for you...” Leaning up, he placed a loving kiss on her lips. “I would do anything.”

Nightfury couldn’t even speak. All she could do was stare at the two of them for a few moments in complete disbelief. They… did this. All to help her, to help her rescue Sally from that horrible place. To lessen her burden on trying to come up with money, to get Sally out of that brothel sooner than later… To bring her home.

She didn’t even realize that tears were trickling down her face until her vision became blurry. She didn’t weep, but soft hiccups and sobs escaped past her lips. The two men immediately wrapped their arms around her, holding her up as she clung to them. They could see the joy in her eyes as she looked over the contracts, but any time she tried to open her mouth to thank them, she could only sob.

It wasn’t money, but it was something even better. Madam Marley would have been crazy to turn this down… It was an offer more tempting than gold, an offer only an idiot would refuse. And though Nightfury thought she was many things, an idiot wasn’t one of them.

She could finally save Sally… She could finally bring her home. 

* * *

“Back so soon?”

Nightfury merely huffed as she entered the Madam’s office. After she had finally calmed down from her crying fest the day before, she had nearly ran into town to collect Sally that minute.

Fortunately though, Genesis and Skyfire had been able to calm her down and told her to wait until the next day. After all, she looked a bit of a mess from crying, considering her black tears stained her face and made her already intimidating appearance look rather frightening. If she had rushed into town looking as she did, she would have caused quite the scene. Not to mention there was no point in trying to do personal business with Madam Marley during the night, not when the Blue Rose Palace was open for its every night business.

So, though a bit reluctantly, Nightfury had waited the next morning to go see her. Since she showed up in the late morning, the brothel was basically devoid of life, minus the few runners skipping around and a couple of cleaners. The rest of the workers must have been asleep or relaxing after a long night’s work.

Admittedly, when a runner had brought her to the office again, she was still a bit anxious. Even with these great offers plus the extra two thousand gold and the five thousand gold deposit, Madam Marley could still refuse her. It would have been a stupid move on her part, but the older woman seemed to enjoy getting her riled up and desperate. She didn’t know if it was personal, or if the woman was just doing it to entertain herself, but it still made Nightfury uneasy.

Not that she would ever show it on her face. So, closing the door behind her, she kept her face neutral and approached the Madam’s desk, scrolls and the small sack of money in hand. Madam Marley looked a bit curious about the scrolls, but said nothing as she leaned back into her chair.

“Were you able to get it all?” she asked, the skepticism clear in her voice. Nightfury, taking a soft breath, placed the gold pouch onto the table. Madam Marley quirked a brow as she was handed the Scrolls.

“I’ve managed to get most of the gold you asked, but not all of it.” And before she could allow Madam Marley a smirk, Nightfury gestured to the scrolls. “I hope these will be enough to cover the rest.”

Perplexed, and a little intrigued, Madam Marley unrolled the first scroll. Scanning the page, she didn’t show her hand, but she was indeed pleased with the idea of having a discount on Swerve’s stock. She wondered how Nightfury gained such favour for the savvy little miser. Then, when she picked up the other scroll and read through it, her interest grew. Discounted fine alcohol and discounted medical services from her fiance? She would save quite a tidy sum.

Placing both the scrolls down, she picked up the small pouch and looked inside. She couldn’t count them all, but she could estimate it was about $2000 gold, maybe a little less. So… $7000 in gold and then some very nice discounts that would benefit her finances in the long run. All of this for a little elf?

Madam Marley looked up at the other, a smirk coming to her face with her eyebrow quirked up. “All of this for Sally, huh? And you really only want her to be free? To have a chance at some normal life?”

“I do,” Nightfury nodded, she would have more to say to this woman but she didn’t want to jinx her chances. She was so close and her anxiety was already closing off her throat.

She sighed, shaking her head as she slowly stood up. “You’re in over your head, you must know that. Many girls here have the same sad backstory - family didn’t want them and sold them for money into this place. It happened to me, it happened to Sally, it happened to most of them. And that girl is so painfully naive that she doesn’t even question it.”

Nightfury’s eyes narrowed as she walked over to a cabinet behind the desk. “And that’s exactly why I want to show her a life outside of this place.”

“Even though she’s happy here?” she said, not looking back at the other. Instead she opened the cabinet and began looking through the drawers. “She has many friends here, she feels safe, and she likes the attention. The work isn’t hard for her… and you will take that away from her and throw a girl like that into the real world. A girl who barely knows how to spell her own name and can barely read, her only real skills making men feel good… Is that really the best thing for her? Are you really prepared to handle that, and the fallout that may come with it?”

Nightfury held her tongue. This woman thought so little of everyone here, including herself, and she frankly felt bad for her. If history is all she had as an argument, then Nightfury could easily share the gruesome childhood she suffered. After all, she was stolen from her family, torn apart and put back together with a plethora of skin grafts, needles, threads, blood and bones to be the perfect killing machine of a monster.

The only reason why she was who she was through the kindness of another, of Genesis. Because of him, she was able to read, write and reconnect with society. So why couldn’t she show that same kindness to Sally? No Sally wasn’t miserable here… but she could learn to see she could be something beyond this place.

“I can sympathize, but in the end… having a bad past doesn’t make you what you will always be. If you have people who care about you, who give their time and care to you, it just means your future will be brighter.”

Madam Marley had to laugh. Primus, she was so ridiculously optimistic. For someone who clearly had experienced pain, she was naive. Sally and her were two different people with two different experiences… If love and care and kindness could really change everything, then brothels like hers wouldn’t need to exist.

Still, the sentiment was endearing, if foolish. And so, she pulled out a sealed scroll from one of the drawers. Then she quickly closed her cabine before turning back to Nightfury, scroll in hand.

“Pretty words, but I supposed we shall see if your words of wisdom hold any truth or not…” She extended the scroll out to her, her face still amused, but there was no malice in her eyes. “So do your best and take care of her.”

Nightfury could feel her anxiety and anger drift away, looking at the scroll offered to her. She… succeeded? She managed to pay off Sally’s contract? She was numb, her hands reaching up and gently grasping the scroll. The Madam shook her head, walking back to her desk and picking up a small bell from her desk. She gave it a few shakes, the bell ringing out for a few seconds before she set it back down.

Only a few moments later, two runners, who appeared to be twin human girls, entered the room. Madam Marley acknowledged with a wave of her hand before taking a seat. Once comfortable, she opened the coin pouch Nightfury to begin counting.

“Neia,” she said, not looking up. “Let Sally know that her contract has been bought and she needs to pack. Lulu, I need you to run to Mr. Croft’s office and have him come down. We have some legal paperwork to look over.”

They both nodded before quickly taking off. The Madam spared another glance up at Nightfury before returning to her counting. “You should know by now where her room is. Now…” She waved her hand at her, her only gesture of a goodbye. “Run along, enjoy your time with her while it lasts.”

Snapping from her stupor, Nightfury shook her head and made her way out of the room. She held her tongue, despite wanting to hiss at the woman. But that didn’t matter anymore; Sally was coming home with her.

Moving through the building, she caught up with Neia. She urged the little human to wait a moment while she told Sally, wanting to surprise her. Neia seemed a little worried at first, looking back down the hallway, but Nightfury assured her she could tell Sally like Madam Marley asked, but she only wanted a few moments.

Reluctant, Neia stood outside the door while Nightfury knocked.

“Come in!” a voice rang.

Nightfury stepped into the room, not surprised to see the four girls inside looking in her direction. Three girls turned to ignore her, but Sally beamed and jumped from her bed.

“Nightfury!”

“Hello, Sally,” she smiled, meeting the excited elf as she leapt from her bed.

“Were you here to see Madam Marley again?” she asked, beaming impossibly bright with curiosity. “How’s your surprise? Is it ready?”

Nightfury paused, knowing she had to do this in a way Sally would understand, or at least know she meant it for her. Though her own excitement tipped her over as she showed Sally the contract. A little confused, seeming as if she couldn’t read the parchment, Nightfury smiled again.

“The surprise is… well, I bought your contract from Madam Marley.”

Sally’s eyes widened, looking back down at the parchment. Nightfury glanced up, seeing the other girls looking just as shocked as Sally did. Then her eyes turned back to the little elf, who just looked down at the contract. She desperately tried to read it, but it might as well have been in a different language. She recognized her name, and her mother’s signature at the bottom when she had sold her all those years ago.

She slowly looked back up at Nightfury. “You… bought me?”

“I know, in this business, it means a number of things but… I want to show you a life outside of this place, be able to go where you want and, if you want, learn new skills. I can help you where I can but both me and Genesis, we want you to…” she slowed, watching Sally take in everything. “I...I know it’s sudden and strange and weird but…”

Sally didn’t say anything for the longest time, her head tilted slightly as she looked up at the other. So… Nightfury was buying her. She and Genesis wanted to have her leave this place, and… come live with them? At least that was what Nightfury was making it seem like. And she said they were even going to teach her things and show her life outside the brothel!

That sounded nice. She didn’t get to leave the brothel much, or even go outside all that often. And even when she did get to, she was always with an escort and they didn’t go very far, mostly to the nearest park with the other elven and fairy workers to replenish themselves. It would be nice to be able to go out and explore nature more.

Still, she was curious about the new skills she mentioned. Considering Nightfury was buying her, she could only assume it meant more sexual stuff… Though that confused her a little. After all, Nightfury was a woman and, as far as she knew, she liked men. Unless maybe she was going to a present to Genesis? After all, Nightfury was bigger than Genesis… Maybe he was the type that wanted to have sex with someone smaller than him every once in a while?

Though that didn’t make sense either, considering how much he adored Nightfury. Maybe it was more like she would help Genesis relieve some tension when Nightfury couldn’t or didn’t want to. Or maybe she would be used as a way to get extra income for Genesis’s clinic by sleeping with clients Nightfury found for her.

Whatever the case, she was more than happy and excited to live with them. A bright and wide smile came to her as she jumped up to hug Nightfury tightly. The taller woman was caught off guard for a moment, but returned the hug all the same.

“Thank you, Nightfury!” she cried. “This is the best surprise ever! I’ll go pack my things! It won’t take long!”

Nightfury smiled, pulling away from her. The other girls in the room immediately ran up to Sally, everyone chatting a mile a minute about how they would miss her and that Sally had to come visit. Looking over her shoulder, she watched Neia hesitantly enter the room. Stepping back further, Nightfury gave the girls their moment and offered a small coin to Neia for all the trouble. The little girl looked confused, but didn’t reject it as Nightfury walked out.

As she waited outside, watching as one of the workers left the room to no doubt tell the others Sally was leaving, Nightfury couldn’t stop herself from smiling. She achieved what she wanted to do. Sally would have a real chance out there. She would see what the world was like beyond this place, and have a chance to grow and develop… She didn’t have to be forced to stay in this lifestyle any more.

The door opened again, causing Nightfury to turn. Sally stepped outside, carrying only one small bag. She was a little surprised at how little she had, but she didn’t question it. Sally looked happy, smiling bright as she skipped next to her friend.

“I’m ready!” she sang.

“You sure you have everything?”

Sally nodded eagerly. “I’ve got all my clothes and my bunny plushie! I even checked twice, and I’m ready to go!”

Nightfury nodded before taking the bag from her. Sally seemed surprised, and even looked ready to stop her, but Nightfury just smiled back and shook her head. “Come on; let’s go home.”

Sally smiled and took off. Nightfury watched as she ran up to everyone they passed, telling them what had happened and saying her goodbyes. Nightfury’s heart swelled as she watched Sally, all smiles and cheers, wishing the best for her friends and telling them where she was going. Keeping her bag in hand, they slowly made their way to the main entrance with one final big goodbye to everyone.

Sally was surprised how far out of town they had to travel to get to Nightfury’s home. But one she saw the building she beamed. It wasn’t as big for the Blue Rose Palace but it was a modest home. There were small gardens and plants lining the walls and open front. A mixture of smells assaulted her but they were so fresh and new, not like the few musty and headier scents within the brothel.

Nightfury opened the door for her again, and just as Sally entered, three others jumped out from the living room. One she recognised as Doctor Genesis, but the other taller pair she didn’t know.

“Welcome Sally,” Genesis smiled, approaching her with open arms. A hug she gladly returned. But as she was about to be introduced to the two other men, one of them finally clicked in her head.

“Oh, hello, Mister Jetfire!”

Everyone in the room froze. Jetfire especially. It took him a moment before he recognised Sally and paled.

“Brother?”

“Uncle?” Nightfury stared at him, Skyfire sharing a similar expression at his brother. Before anything could be accused or said, Jetfire waved his arms in protest.

“Okay now, now hold on! What’s wrong with a man going out on the town with his friends for a night?! It was his bachelor party… I think,” Jetfire tried to explain but Sally giggled, finding the exchange comical. “I might’ve… gotten a little drunk.”

“It’s okay, Mr. Jetfire,” Sally giggled. “Elizabeth had a good time with you. She said you were one of her better customers - and you didn’t throw up on her! And your friends were nice too; Mr. Engine especially likes to come by every once in a while for company.”

Jetfire coughed, recalling the night and remembering the girl he ‘spent his night’ with. Nightfury on the other hand gave him a grimace and his brother shaking his head. Genesis, however, just smiled and turned back to Sally.

“Well, let’s get you settled into you room and we can have a meal after,” Genesis said.

Sally nodded eagerly. “Okay!”

With a smile, Genesis took Sally’s bag from Nightfury and led the little elf out of the room and to leave the family to work through the news. Sally hummed along as Genesis guided down the hall, opening the door to the back room… And Sally couldn’t help but squeal in delight at how cute it was, running in to take a look around.

Genesis chuckled. “Do you like it?”

“It’s so pretty and so big!” she cried, running over to look at the flowers near the bed. The flower smelled so sweet and rich, and they were her favorites. And the room was so big and pastel pink with elegant, though simple white furniture. It was absolutely perfect! “I-Is this really my room?”

“Yes, it is,” he replied, setting her bag down onto the bed. “We didn’t want to over-decorate. We wanted to wait until you arrived so you could decorate it yourself.”

“Really?”

“Of course,” he smiled, placing her bag on her bed. “We want you to be comfortable. I know moving from one lifestyle to another can be a bit stressful,” Sally moved to sit on the bed, smiling brighter as she looked around. “And, just know, we will help you with anything.”

“Thank you, Genesis!”

“You’re welcome,” he chuckled. He was glad that she seemed happy about all of this; he had been a little worried that the adjustment would have been overwhelming, but she seemed to be handling things all right at the moment. “ Now, why don’t you get settled and unpack while we get dinner ready? If you need anything, just call for Nightfury or me, okay?”

“Okay!”

Once he was sure she was comfortable, getting up to picking unpacking, Genesis walked out of the room. Once out of sight, he let the mask down. He was worried. Sally only knew the life in the brothel, and Nightfury was so sure she would miraculously take this life in stride. He could go over all the possibilities, something, anything, could happen and both would be miserable or worse. With a sigh, he had to turn to the positives. It would be long and it will take time, but just as infectious as Nightfury’s optimism was, he knew they could help Sally.

There was a bright future for them, and he could tell Sally will be happy here. They just had to be sure to help her reach that happiness. 


End file.
